Not all video-game makers will necessarily benefit from France's tax-break incentives, either. Only video games with "cultural content" will qualify.

"The games must have a narration of some kind and a scenario written in French with elements of adventure or simulation games," said Marc Herubel, an adviser to the culture ministry. He cited Fahrenheit and Missing as games that would have probably qualified for the tax break.

And among some of France's intellectual elite, such as professors of art theory and history, video games also have a long way to go before they are taken seriously, some say.

"Intellectuals in France who defend the traditional culture like the cinema, literature and music, etc., generally don't care about video games and say they have nothing to do with culture," said Frank Beau, a consultant and writer who specializes in new media and the video-game industry. "On the other end, the intelligent set who defend video games in France are usually involved in psychology and social sciences, and they tend to favor role-playing games. "